For the last four years, the Liberal Democrats have proudly fought to stop Brexit. 

I am immensely proud of everything we did. We stood up for our values. We campaigned so hard. But I also accept that at 11pm tonight, we will no longer be members of the European Union.

Our European story is not over. Tomorrow our fight continues, to make sure Britain has the closest possible relationship with our allies in Europe. 

Today, I want to take stock of everything we did achieve in our fight to stop Brexit. 

When the results of the European referendum were announced on that sad day in June 2016, we knew that something must be done. Our leader at the time, Tim Farron, did not wait to say that we deserved a vote on the final Brexit deal. 

We were a lone voice at first. But more and more people joined our cause, to call for a People’s Vote on the final deal. 

Our membership surged to the highest numbers in our party’s history. 

We backed the cross-party People’s Vote campaign. Its rallies attracted hundreds of thousands of people, making them the biggest marches since the protests against the Iraq war. 

Our MPs worked across parties in the Commons and the Lords to inflict more than 30 defeats on the Conservative government’s Brexit bills. 

We stopped a catastrophic no deal and we stopped the government charging EU citizens to apply to stay in the UK.

Last year, we went into the European elections with an unapologetic message on Brexit. 

I’m so proud of that campaign. We fought unashamedly for our liberal, progressive values, and we made a strong case for why the UK should continue to be members of the EU. 

Being a Liberal Democrat candidate is a rewarding way to make a difference anywhere from your local town council to nationally in Westminster. Our new candidates process makes it far easier to get the ball rolling on your application. If you’re thinking of standing, we have just made it easier for you to apply! There is a link to a short form below that you can use to express interest.

Our candidates process is designed to be inclusive and transparent. You won’t be judged based on who you know or what qualifications you have. We’re more interested in your skills and capabilities, which can come from your political, work, voluntary or social life!

Expressing interest in becoming a councillor

You can use the form below to express interest in being a council candidate – your local party will receive a notification that you’re interested and will be in touch with further details. With your permission, your information will also be shared with the Association of Liberal Democrat Councillors (ALDC), who can offer guidance and advice on how to become a Lib Dem councillor.

Expressing interest in becoming a Parliamentary or Assembly candidate

Becoming a parliamentary or assembly candidate is a three-stage process. Firstly, you should register your interest using the same form below.  with various Lib Dem groups like the Parliamentary Candidates Association and the Campaign for Gender Balance where relevant, who can provide support with your application.

You will then receive an email about the candidate application process, which will also contain an application form for you to tell us about yourself. After completing this form, you will be invited to a Candidate Assessment Day, where you’ll take part in a mix of written and spoken exercises, and a panel of impartial assessors will let you know how you did within two weeks.

We welcome applications from people from all walks of life: there is no such thing as a typical Lib Dem candidate

Good morning.

For the last four years, the Liberal Democrats fought to stop Brexit.

We held street stalls, town hall meetings and we marched in our millions.

Today we stand strong in the knowledge that we did everything we could.

In 2018 a homeless man, Gyula Remes, died in Westminster Tube station. He was one of over 700 homeless people who died that year, and the second to die in Westminster station that year.

71% of people think arresting someone for sleeping rough is a waste of police time

There’s a gate in the station – near the entrance to Parliament. It’s designed to push homeless people just a little bit further away. How many times did MPs just walk past him and turn a blind eye?

I see homeless people every day when I arrive at Parliament. It breaks my heart. It makes me absolutely determined that 2020 is the year that we scrap the Vagrancy Act.

So, you want to run for a post that’s currently open for nominations (the full list is here) but you’re not sure how to get started?

We’ve put together a guide to help you navigate the process and get nominated.